The Jacksons
by Canon Archives
Summary: This story is a sneak peek into the lives of the two Jackson kids in New Rome. It is a series of small family moments throughout their childhoods that give you a taste of their characters. These are my babies! I really hope that you love them as much as I do.
1. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

 **Hello everyone! Here is my second collection of Next Generation moments; this one is about the Jackson Family! I love this family so much and I hope you do too. If you haven't checked out my story about the Valdez household, please read it as well. These kids all know each other and are family friends. Like I said before, I have 5 children of the Seven living in my head who are precious to me and I have been dying to get them down on paper. So here is a sneak peak at the two Percabeth kids!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the characters you know, but I do own the children.**


	2. It's a Boy

**November, 2020**

* * *

"And we're very sure about what we want to call him?" Percy asked for the umpteenth time as they drove home from the hospital. They had just found out that they were having a boy, and Percy was a bit overwhelmed by the idea.

"Yes, Percy, I'm sure," Annabeth replied tiredly. "How can we call him anything else?"

"Well we could go with-"

"No, Percy, this is what I want to name my child."

"Okay because you know once we tell Olivia-"

"I know," she said. "Its her brother, so whatever she likes is what goes."

He sighed heavily as he drove and Annabeth leaned her head against the window. Work had been rough at the architecture firm today, so her patience for anything was running very low. Her four-year-old had woken both of them up last night because she had a nightmare, and even though Percy kindly handled it, Annabeth hadn't been able to fall back asleep for another hour. Not only was she overtired, but this was the point in her pregnancy when everyone knew to avoid her because the hormones supposedly made her more bossy than usual. So basically, it was a lonely, busy, exhausting day and she was very ready to go home.

They finally reached the Zhang's house and pulled into the driveway. Hazel had agreed to pick up Olivia from preschool today so they could go to their appointment, and she had taken their daughter home for the afternoon.

"Hi!" Hazel greeted them excitedly when she opened the door. She gave Annabeth a hug. "What's the news?"

"It's a boy," Annabeth told her. Hazel squealed.

"Oh my gods! Frank, it's a boy!" She called into the other room. She happily let them inside just as Frank came to the door.

"It's a boy?" He smiled, "Congratulations," he pulled Percy into a bro-hug and then gave Annabeth a hug as well.

"Thanks guys," Percy said. "Where's our other little troublemaker?" He asked as they wandered into the living room.

They got their answer immediately when they reached the doorway. Hazel and Frank's two-year-old son, Nate, sat on the floor banging plastic daggers together, while Olivia ran around him wildly waving a plastic sword in the air.

"RAAAHHH!" Olivia shouted loudly when she saw her parents. She ran over to her dad and pointed the sword threateningly at him. "Stay back!" She demanded. "Dat sea monter will attack if you get any cwoser!" she pointed at Nate, who appeared to be oblivious to the older girl's plan.

"Oh no!" Percy played along. "I guess I'm gonna have to fight him then, 'cause he has something of mine."

"I controw him, I am his maser, and he will kill you!" She warned, narrowing her eyes.

"We'll have to see about that," Percy lunged at his daughter and grabbed her around the waist, lifting her off the ground. Olivia squealed loudly as the sword fell out of her hands.

Annabeth laughed, placing her hand absentmindedly on her growing baby bump. Now that she knew she was having a son, she could picture so much more clearly how her life would be in another few months. That thought warmed her insides. Her little girl would soon have a baby brother, and their family would be a perfect size of four. Nothing could make her happier.

"What are you smiling about?" Hazel asked knowingly.

"Just thinking," Annabeth replied, watching Percy swing Olivia around playfully.

"As always. Anything to do with having another child?"

She looked down and rubbed her belly. "I've always wanted two," she said. "One is not enough, three is too many. But two- two is perfect."

"Glad to hear that everything is going as you planned," Hazel responded in a bemused, slightly patronizing tone. "I wouldn't expect anything less."

Hazel dodged being slapped and laughed, going to pick up her son from the floor.

"Okay, time to go home," Annabeth announced to her family, interrupting their game of horsie.

"Nooo," Olivia groaned dramatically.

"Oh, don't whine at me," she picked up her daughter and held her to her hip. "You can play more at our house. But Mama and Daddy have something really important to tell you first, okay?"

"Okay," she gave in reluctantly.

Home was at the very top of the hill, with a gorgeous view of the bay. Percy had insisted on the location for the house, but Annabeth had made all of the architectural decisions, obviously. Olivia spent the entire car ride babbling about the house-of-cards city they built in school. When they finally pulled into the driveway, the girl immediately jumped out of the car and did a sloppy cartwheel on the grass, landing ungracefully on her butt.

"You'd think she did nothing all day," Percy mumbled.

"Not my genes," Annabeth answered.

"I am _not_ the only one with ADHD here," he defended.

"Mama, flip!" Olivia held out her arms, waiting expectantly to be swung over her mother's shoulder.

"Mama's belly is starting to get too big for that, baby," Annabeth lifted her daughter again. "Guess what, Livy? We found out something really exciting today," she said as they walked into the house.

"What?" Olivia asked, her eyes widening in anticipation. When they got inside Annabeth put the girl down next to her on the living room couch. Percy sat in the love seat across from them.

Well," she said, "it has to do with the baby in Mama's tummy."

Olivia poked Annabeth's belly, looking for confirmation that that was the baby she was talking about.

"Yeah," Annabeth nodded. "That is your little brother."

"My wi'l bruh'r," she repeated quietly, rubbing Annabeth's tummy.

"You wanna say hi?" She asked. "He can hear you if you talk to him. Say, 'hi Bob,'" Annabeth said.

Olivia looked up, unsure. "Go ahead, Liv," Percy encouraged her. "He's not gonna hurt you."

She looked at Annabeth again and then put her lips on her belly. "Hi Bobby," she whispered.

Annabeth looked up at Percy, absolutely shocked. "W-what was that, baby?"

Olivia smiled. "I love you, Bobby," she said, pressing her cheek against her tummy.

Annabeth looked at Percy again. He was smiling. "I think that _Bobby_ is gonna love his big sister, too."

And they never called him anything else.


	3. Visiting Grandma

**July, 2024**

* * *

Sally Jackson was a very proud Grandma.

Percy and Annabeth had given her the kids for the entire day, and she wanted to do as much as she could with them. She only really got to see them in the summers, after all, and they were growing so fast that she could hardly keep up. Olivia was already seven, and Bobby now a chubby three-year-old. Sally loved both of them to death, just as a Grandma should.

They had spent the entire morning at the aquarium, which she knew was an exciting treat for both of them. Olivia spent most of the time underneath the glass tunnel with Paul, where she spoke chipperly to the bigger fish and sharks in the round tank. Whether or not the fish knew what she was saying was unclear- but she certainly enjoyed it. Sally was with Bobby at the hands-on exhibit, where the toddler found great joy in continuously poking the sea enenemi and petting the manta rays.

Now the four of them were back home eating blue chocolate chip cookies that Sally baked special for her grandchildren. Paul relaxed in his chair reading the newspaper while Sally happily watched the kids playing on the floor. Olivia was trying to show Bobby how to use the abacus she had gotten for the holidays.

"See, Bobby, that says ten," the girl pointed to the beads on the top bar. "Now if I take away three," she pushed three beads to the right, "how many beads are left?"

"Beads!" Bobby exclaimed in response.

"No, you have to count them," his sister reminded him. "Like this: one..." she pointed, "two... three..."

"Four!" The little boy said.

"Yeah!" Livy praised him. "What comes after four?"

The toddler held up his fingers and began counting them in a singsong voice. "One two free four fie si' seven nine ten..." He laughed and pushed the colored beads back and forth on the wooden bars.

"No!" The older girl fell to the floor in defeat. "Bobby it's not that hard!"

Oblivious to his sister's aggravation, the boy started singing the colors of the rainbow song as well.

"Olivia he's only three," Sally smiled at her granddaughter's attempt. "He will learn addition and subtraction eventually."

"I love addition and subtraction!" She rolled onto her stomach. "Gramma which is your favorite?"

"Hm," Sally thought. "I like addition best," she decided. "Addition means more cookies," she held out the plate for Olivia to take another one.

The girl put a cookie in her mouth and giggled. "Me too," she agreed. "Gramma why is the ocean blue?"

"I believe it's because the water reflects the sky."

"Why is the sky blue?"

"That's a good question. It probably has to do with how light works."

"Why is there light?"

Sally laughed. "Oh, Livy. You'll have to ask someone who knows more about science than I do."

"Grampa do you know?" The girl tried.

Paul put down his paper and thought for a moment. "Have you learned anything about how light works in school?"

Olivia shook her head.

"Light travels in waves, just like water."

"It _does?_ " Her eyebrows shot up in disbelief. She squinted up at the ceiling light. "But I don't see any waves!"

"That's because light travels so fast that you can't see them."

"But then how do you know that they are there?"

"Scientists use special machines that are able to detect what we can't see," Paul answered. "Light travels in waves, and the waves are different sizes. That's how you know that the beads on the top of the abacus are blue, but the ones on the bottom are red."

"Because red waves are different from blue waves?"

"Exactly," Paul said. "So the light waves that travel from the sun hit the atmosphere and turn into blue waves."

"That's so weird!" Olivia smiled. "Zeus's favorite color must be blue," she decided. "Just like mine!"

"Bwue!" Bobby shouted, collapsing onto his sister's back. He wrapped his arms around her neck, a floppy foam sword in his hand. "Ho'sy, Livy! Giddyup!"

Olivia gave a compliant whinny and playfully galloped around the room on all fours. "Bobby help!" She exclaimed. "The Minotaur is going to eat me!"

"Bad Mintar!" Bobby shouted, waving his sword into the air. He leaped off his sister's back and rolled onto the floor. While Bobby wildly rolled and swung his sword at the imaginary monster, Olivia waved her hands in the air and whinnied, pretending to fight as well.

Sally smiled. By the time their parents arrived to pick them up, the two siblings had successfully defeated the Minotaur and five other monsters, while still managing to finish all of their grandmother's cookies.


	4. Beach Day

**October, 2026**

* * *

"We need more shells!" Bobby shouted to his sister, who was busily poking windows out of her colosseum sandcastle. The six-year-old grabbed his bucket and sprinted towards the water.

Percy had just come back from a short swim in the ocean and found that his kids had already built half of Ancient Rome out of sand. He chuckled to himself as he sat down next to Annabeth, who was reading in a lounge chair under the umbrella. She wore a bright yellow beach cover-up over her swim suit. "They are so your children," he said to his wife.

"Mhm," she mumbled, signaling that she wasn't really listening.

Percy observed his daughter, who was growing up to be as beautiful as her mother. The ten-year-old wore her favorite blue two-piece swim suit and was squatted over the sand. Her sea green eyes which she had inherited from her dad were very focused on her artwork, and her dark princess curls had come loose out of her ponytail, blowing wildly in the wind. Although most people said she took after her dad, Percy had always thought she looked more like Annabeth. She had the same intensity.

Bobby came running back from the water, a bucket full of whatever he had collected off the beach. He knelt down in front of his own castle and began adding more shells to the sides. The young boy had gotten Annabeth's intelligent gray eyes, but they were softer than hers. His scraggly blond hair desperately needed a trim.

"Bobby, you can add more to the amphitheatre too," Olivia ordered, and her brother obediently brought his bucket over to where she had indicated.

"I actually think Bobby is a lot more like you than he is like me."

Percy turned to look at Annabeth, who closed her book over her bookmark. So she had heard him. "Why do you say that?" He asked.

She shrugged. "I think he has your inflated hero complex."

Percy laughed. "How would you know that, he's _six!_ "

"I'm his mother, I can tell."

"Livy watch out! Giant jellyfish attack!"

Both parents looked over in time to see Bobby toss a large gooey sea creature at the colosseum Olivia was building, knocking over a portion of her work.

Olivia let out a scream. " _Bobby!_ Oh my gods that's the stinging kind!"

Before a fight could break out, Annabeth took over. "Bobby that was not okay, you just ruined your sister's castle," she scolded. Olivia started crying. "Olivia, honey, it was an accident," she hugged her daughter.

"Bobby say you're sorry," Percy said.

"I didn't mean to!"

"I know, but you still need to apologize."

Bobby looked down guiltily. "Sorry Livy," he said.

"Olivia?" Her mother prompted.

She sighed. "It's okay," Olivia said. "I can fix it." She knelt back down to mend the crumbled area.

"Percy, take your son for a walk," Annabeth told him, as she knelt down to help her daughter.

"Come on, Bobby," Percy obliged. "Let's go look for more sea creatures."

"I was trying to be funny, Dad," the young boy tried to explain as Percy guided him towards the water. "I wasn't actually _trying_ to mess it up."

"I know," Percy replied. "Sometimes when you find something funny, someone else might not think so. Just remember to think about others before you act."

Bobby walked along the edge of the water, looking down at his feet. Percy followed him, letting his own feet get wet in the crashing waves. After a while, Bobby began humming quietly to himself, deliberately avoiding the ocean by zigzagging along the sand. Noticing this, Percy smirked.

Suddenly, a strong wave leaped up, breaking the ebb and flow pattern that the boy was following. It splashed him, and Bobby jumped back in surprise.

"Dad!" He exclaimed in exasperation, turning to smile at him. Percy laughed.

"What?" He feigned. "Did I do something?"

"Yes!" Bobby insisted. "That was you, I know it was!" He hesitated, and Percy grinned. The water suddenly splashed up at him again, and he ran back.

"That one was _definitely_ you!" Bobby turned to face his dad. Percy shrugged, pretending to be innocent.

"What are you talking about?" He smiled in amusement.

Bobby went back to walking along the water, now watching it closely. Every few steps he would leap back, thinking a wave was going to splash him again.

"Hey Bobby, check this out," Percy said to his son. He squatted down and picked up what looked to be some sort of crab shell. The dark rust-colored shell was about the size of a discus, covered in sand and seaweed.

Bobby came over to examine the creature, and Percy held it up. "Look at that," he pointed. "You can still see his sharp teeth."

"Cool," Bobby poked at the creature. "Is it dead?" He asked.

"I think so, yeah," Percy replied. He handed it to his son to hold. "Look at those big clippers."

The boy turned it around in his hands for a moment, studying it. "How did he die?" He asked.

"I dunno," Percy answered. "Maybe a bird snatched him up for dinner."

Bobby frowned. "The shell is all broken," he noted. "I think he got smashed by a rock or something."

Percy watched his son continue to examine the creature. "What kind of crab is it?" Bobby asked.

"When we get home we can look in your sea animal book," Percy suggested. "We could probably compare it to the pictures and figure out which one it matches."

"That's a good idea," he agreed. "The book has a lot of crabs in it," the boy continued matter-of-factly. He began listing off all of the different animal species he could remember. They began walking again and Bobby held onto the crab, forgetting about his earlier goal to keep his feet dry.

By the time they returned to the umbrella, Annabeth and Olivia had finished working on the sand city and were now sitting in chairs looking out at the boats on the water. "Sixteen!" Olivia exclaimed as they approached. "Dad there are _sixteen_ boats out there!"

"Mama look!" Bobby ran over to them and held out the crab.

"Oh my, what did you find?" Annabeth replied, though Percy could tell she was not particularly excited about their discovery.

"It's a dead crab!" Bobby said. "Can we bring it home?"

Annabeth looked up at her husband, scrunching her nose slightly at the prospect.

"We want to study it so we can figure out what kind it is," Percy explained.

She thought about it, and then reluctantly complied. "Okay, but go wash it in the water first so it isn't covered in sand," she told him. "Wash it off _well!_ " She emphasized as he ran back to the ocean. "Wrap it in a _towel_ , Percy, and keep it in the garage. I don't want it smelling up the house, please."

"Mama can I take one more dip in the water before we go home?" Olivia asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Tell your brother to do the same."

Annabeth stood up and shook out the towel she had been sitting on. "You think these kids take after _me?_ " She said to Percy. "They are most certainly like you, too."

Percy smiled and helped close down the umbrella. "Well I suppose that can't be a bad thing," he replied cheekily.

Annabeth gave him a dirty look as she folded up the beach chairs. "It's because of me that they don't have brains full of kelp."

"And there's nothing wrong with loving the beach," Percy replied. "So let's call it even, yeah?" He threw a shirt over his bare chest and wrapped his arms around her waist. She rolled her eyes and he kissed her on the lips.

They finished cleaning up, and the kids came back from their swim. They dried off with towels and the family headed towards the parking lot.

"After you finish dissecting that disgusting creature," Annabeth said to Percy, "it is going in the garbage."

He laughed. "Okay, sounds like a deal."


	5. The Ninth Cohort

**June, 2029**

The first glimpse of light illuminated the rolling hills of California as the morning sun rose over the horizon. Blowing bubbles from her nose, Olivia sunk herself down to the bottom of the pool, and let her loose hair flow around her.

Twelve-years-old was a very significant age in New Rome. It was the year legacies graduated from primary school and officially joined the Legion. Olivia had passed her exam with flying colors and was placed in the Ninth Cohort, which was one of the most respected of the legacy cohorts. It was known for its unique battle strategy and inventive fighting style, which fit Olivia very well.

After the initiation ceremony, Olivia went to Temple Hill to give thanks to her grandparents. This was customary in her city, and the gods usually blessed their legacies in some way. At the Temple of Neptune, Poseidon had presented himself to her in his Greek form.

"Creativity and curiosity flow through your veins as strongly as the currents of the ocean," the god had told her proudly. "You must learn to control these strengths as you grow into a leader in your new community." And he blessed her with her father's ability to control water currents with her mind.

Next, at the Temple of Minerva, Athena had descended from the heavens to congratulate Olivia on her accomplishment.

"Beware of the internal clash within your godly blood," she had warned. "The ocean's power has the ability to drown wisdom and good judgment. You must always be aware of this danger and maintain a stable balance between rationality and intuition. If you use them wisely, together they can lead you to success."

Athena then gave her the gift that Olivia held before her now.

The cool pool water circled Olivia slowly as she stared down at the object. Small waves rippled and pulsed steadily, in sync with her heartbeat. She loved it down there, and could spend hours in the pool until her skin shriveled up like a prune. This was by far her favorite place in New Rome.

In her hands Olivia held a small notebook; somehow, it stayed dry despite being underwater. The dark blue cover was made of leather, and a beautiful olive branch was etched onto the front. Below the design, the words _epimeleisthai sautou_ were written in Greek: take care of yourself.

She ran a hand over the cover, tracing the words with her finger. "Take care of yourself," Olivia pondered. At the sound of her voice, the letters began to glow and she gasped. The water responded to the skip of her heart. Enticed, Olivia carefully opened the book.

Instantaneously, the blank pages unfolded and sealed into a celestial bronze shield. The cover transformed into a leather strap that gripped around her arm.

Olivia turned the shield around to look at the front. A golden olive tree danced up the edges. Its branches surrounded a beautiful owl whose wings were wrapped around herself in protection. The eyes glowed a bright silver.

"Wow," Olivia breathed in awe.

The water began to shift back and forth above her and Olivia glanced up. She recognized her dad's signal and quickly unstrapped the shield. She folded the leather band in the opposite direction and the pages of the notebook fell back into place. Taking Athena's gift, Olivia pushed herself up to the surface and brushed her hair back from her face.

"You're up early."

Olivia's dad sat at the edge of the pool, his bare feet dangling in the water. He wore shorts and a t-shirt, his flip flops discarded by one of the lounge chairs behind him. He leaned back on his hands and smiled.

Olivia swam over to the wall and leaned her arms up on the ground next to him. "Hi," she grinned.

"Did you figure out what it is?" her dad asked, gesturing to the notebook.

She pushed herself out of the water and sat criss-cross beside him. "It's a shield!" she exclaimed excitedly. Murmuring the Greek words on the front cover, she opened the book and the shield slipped itself back over her arm.

Her dad's eyes widened when he saw it. "Olivia," he reached out to touch the bronze plate. "Its beautiful."

Olivia smiled and stood up in her green one-piece, posing dramatically with the shield. "I am Olivia Jackson, Centurion of the Ninth Cohort!"

Her dad laughed. "Not yet, Liv. One day, though, I'm sure you will be."

He reached behind him and picked up a small rectangular box. "I came here to give you this," he held it out to her. Olivia squatted back down to look at it.

"What is it?" she asked curiously.

"It's a graduation gift from your mother and I," he said. "I believe it will go well with your new shield."

She smiled in anticipation and took the box from him. She opened it, and inside was a celestial bronze dagger.

Olivia stared at it in surprise. "Is this-"

"It's modeled after Mom's old one," he answered, already knowing her question. "With some additions," he smirked.

Turning the dagger around in her hand, Olivia saw what he meant. The intricate design on the handle extended up along the bottom of the knife in the shape of a trident. Besides the Poseidon-esque decoration, the dagger looked almost exactly like the one her mom had had in old pictures.

"I love it Dad," she told him. Standing up, she posed again, holding up the dagger triumphantly.

"Now you look like a hero," her dad complimented.

Putting down her new armor, Olivia gave her dad a big hug. "Thank you," she said gratefully. "I love it so much!"

"You are very welcome," he replied. "I can't believe you are already so grown up."

She pulled back the hug and looked at him. His eyes were slightly wet. "Oh no, don't get all sappy, Dad!"

"Am I not allowed?" he asked. "My little girl is moving out to go be a Roman warrior. I think I have a right to be a little sappy."

"Oh alright," Olivia rolled her eyes. "But it's not like I'm never going to see you! I still live here. I'll come visit all the time!"

"I know. You better," he ruffled her hair. "I want to hear everything."

"Okay," she replied impatiently. She decided she should get out of there before her dad started sobbing. She folded up her shield and put away the dagger. "I have to go find Mom and thank her too. Bye Dad!"

Olivia began sprinting away before her dad could respond. Suddenly, she heard a large splash from behind her which made her pause. Turning around, she saw that in her haste she had accidentally soaked the ground in pool water. Although her dad remained dry, his eyebrows were raised incredulously.

"Whoops," Olivia said guiltily.

"It's like a muscle," her dad explained. "You have to relax it so that the water doesn't respond to everything you do."

Olivia nodded. That was definitely something she had to work on.

"Go find your mother," he waved at her, letting her go.

She smiled. "Thanks Dad," she told him again genuinely. And with that, she continued back towards town.


	6. Sea Glass Palace

**August, 2030**

It was a humid afternoon by the Long Island Sound, and nine-year-old Bobby wandered into his family's summer house in New Athens carrying a jar of sea glass he had just collected off the beach. His collection had grown so large that he had decided to do something more interesting with it. He was building a model-sized Sea Glass Palace.

He sat down at the kitchen table, which had become a permanent work table, and examined his project. So far he had only built the foundation and the outline of the front entrance. Emptying the jar onto the table, Bobby began fishing through the pieces he had found.

"Did you find any good ones?"

Bobby's mom, who was busily working across from him, glanced up and took a sip of iced tea. She was surrounded by blueprints from her latest architect project and had been sketching out revisions for the past two hours.

"A few," Bobby answered. "Most of them are regular green ones, but I did find one dark blue. And it's super well done!" Bobby handed the smooth piece of glass to his mother to feel and she ran her thumb over it.

"It is very nice," she approved. "You should put that one somewhere it can be seen."

"I was thinking I could use it on the gate," Bobby said, taking back the sea glass. "It will stand out more if there are a lot of green one's around it."

"Can I look at your blueprint?" His Mom reached her hand out and Bobby handed her his sketch of the palace.

"Hm," she thought, studying his work. Bobby went over to her side of the table and looked over her shoulder. "Well first," she took her pencil and erased the dimensions of one of the towers, "This can't be only two and half inches long. That would make the tower smaller than the windows."

"Oh right," Bobby said, realizing his silly mistake. The mother and son looked over his math to figure out where he went wrong.

"I see," his mom said after a moment. "Seven times six is forty-two, not fifty-six," she took her pencil and fixed the error. "That's an easy mistake to make."

Bobby sighed. He knew that. His mom talked through the rest of the calculations and came to the correct dimension for the height of the tower.

"There we go," she wrote in the number. "Now the tower is thirty-one point three inches tall. That sounds more like it."

"Maybe you should check the rest of it too, just in case," Bobby frowned.

His mom smiled and placed her hand on his cheek. "I'm sure your math is very sound. If there are any other silly mistakes like that, I believe you can figure it out." She took the blue piece of sea glass from his hand. "Now, as for this beautiful piece, I think it is a little heavy for the entrance gate. It would probably be better on the tower, and you will still be able to see it from far away."

Bobby thought about it. "Okay," he decided. "It will look good with all the white shells I've collected." He took his materials back over to his side of the table and continued looking through the sea glass he had to work with.

"Bobby, I think I am going to take a break for a little while," his mom took her iced tea over to the sink. "Do you want to come to camp with me, see if we can find Dad and Livy at the training arena?"

Bobby considered the offer, not really wanting to leave his project.

"I bet Aqua would enjoy a run today," his mom suggested. At the mention of his horse Aquafleet, Bobby's face lit up. A ride did sound nice.

"Okay!" Bobby got up, excited to see his horse. "I'm going to feed the fish before we go."

He ran to his room and went over to the fish tank. Inspired by _Finding Nemo_ , Bobby had filled his tank with sea creatures to match the characters in the movie. He said hello to the fish (even though they couldn't understand him) and shook some of the fish food into the tank. Then he put on his riding cleats, grabbed his helmet, and said goodbye to the fish. Taking a sugar cube from the kitchen, he followed his mother excitedly out the door.


End file.
